Trivium has a strong track record in the Metal neighborhood - - underground and at street-level, but in spite of a Grammy nomination and some splashes on the Billboard charts, they’ve always felt too heavy for the commercial Hard Rock areas. Their 2020 “What the Dead Men Say” album may change that. To me, it’s a bit less harsh, a bit smoother overall than their previous outings, but - - but - - I believe their longtime fanbase will not feel betrayed. On the contrary, I think they’ll embrace the new aspects of the sound. And to be clear: nothing of core Trivium values have been discarded or compromised. There’s been no reduction in their trademark ferocity and thresher-blade intensity.
Trivium have always been a riff factory. . . there are high-quality riffs by the truckload on this record. I listen with great admiration to songs like “Amongst The Shadows And Stones” and “Catastrophist.”
Vocalist/guitarist Matt Heafy has toned nothing of his distinctive vocal attack down for this album, but has possibly sanded some of the rougher edges. His clean voice comes through powerfully when employed, evoking world-famous super-talent David Draiman (Disturbed), while his all-out vox go more tsunami roar than growl.
He’s also possibly stepped up his emotional delivery, as have the songs. “Sickness Unto You” is the most powerful song on the record. Its open-wound rawness is actually a bit difficult. The lyrics are vivid and confessional, describing the heartache around the final moments of his dog’s life. This shit is heartbreaking and real - - fight me!
In full disclosure, I’ve admired Trivium for years, but couldn’t really get into this album’s 2017 predecessor, “The Sin and the Sentence.” Listening to “What the Dead Men Say,” I keep thinking, “Yes, this is more like it.” It feels like an important step in the right direction for the band. Even at nine albums in, Trivium are one of the young-ish bands leading the Metal genre into the future.
